Toward Commercialization of the Carbon Dots Technology

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是使碳量子点技术商业化，最初的重点是用于水和食品分析的高性能传感器，以及用于早期发现癌症的成像技术和其他生物医学应用。碳量子点已被开发为市售半导体量子点的无毒和环境友好的替代品，半导体量子点是具有优异光学特性的纳米材料，但大多含有剧毒重金属，以实现所需的特性和性能水平。碳量子点作为碳基纳米材料，具有类似的优异性能和高性能，可以从丰富和环境友好的前驱体中制备。它们是良性和无毒的。 由于低成本的性质，碳量子点技术也有望有更广泛的应用，超越最初的重点为许多其他社会需求。这个I-Corps项目评估市场潜力和可能的客户群的碳量子点技术。碳量子点已经成为一个快速发展和扩大的研究和开发领域。在碳量子点技术的保护伞下，已经探索了许多技术领域中的重要应用，包括碳量子点作为极其敏感但良性和无毒的光学探针、有效的光催化剂、用于治疗和其他目的的光动力剂、抗菌剂和抗病毒剂以及各种可再生能源和能量转换装置中的材料和组件。该项目的重点是成像和传感技术，以利用碳量子点最重要和独特的优势特性和性质，特别是几个高价值的用途，以立即进行商业开发。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to enable the commercialization of the carbon dots technology, with the initial focus on uses in high-performance sensors for water and food analyses and in imaging techniques for the early detection of cancers and other biomedical applications. Carbon dots have been developed as nontoxic and environmentally benign alternatives to the commercially available semiconductor quantum dots, which are nanomaterials of excellent optical properties but mostly containing highly toxic heavy metals in order to achieve the desired properties and performance levels. With similarly excellent properties and high performance, carbon dots as carbon-based nanomaterials can be produced from abundant and environmentally friendly precursors. They are benign and nontoxic. Because of the low-cost nature, the carbon dots technology is also expected to have broader applications beyond the initial focus for many other societal needs.This I-Corps project assesses the market potential and the likely customer base for a carbon dots technology. Carbon dots have emerged as a rapidly advancing and expanding field of research and development. Under the umbrella of the carbon dots technology, significant applications in a number of technological areas have been explored, including carbon dots as extremely sensitive, yet benign and nontoxic, optical probes, potent photocatalysts, photodynamic agents for therapy and other purposes, antibacterial and antiviral agents, and materials and components in various renewable energy and energy conversion devices. The focus of this project is on the technology for imaging and sensing to take advantage of the most important and uniquely advantageous characteristics and properties of carbon dots, specifically on several high-value uses for immediate commercial development.